Once again Republicans are going after a successful govt. program that serves a worthy and noble purpose – helping the poor, working poor, working class and others with limited income obtain food. Including and especially children. WIC (Women, Infants & Children) and SNAP (better known as “food stamps) have been around for a long, long time. The programs work, and not just recipients but farmers (even though they wouldn’t vote for a Democrat if their life depended on it) love it too. Because it works, is cost effective and popular conservatives HATE it.
That mostly white people get those benefits doesn’t matter. I’m sure the reasoning is rooted in the notion that people who need these programs aren’t the kind of people who write big campaign donation checks. As for the huge numbers of small-town/rural folks like in southern Illinois where I lived my first 26 years, or over ten years in WV who are Trump/GOP voters well, they long ago got suckered into believing the GOP is better for them than Democrats. Even if year after year polling shows they strongly approve of Democratic programs and policies. They LOVE the programs and policies. It’s just “damned Democrats” they can’t stand! Having lived so much of my life amongst such people I’ve seen firsthand what you often read/hear from pundits – yes these people like the programs, and believe they are deserving of the assistance. They just don’t want “those” people, the proverbial “other” (non-white folks, or people who aren’t citizens or “barely” citizens and not “real Mur-I-kuns”) getting them. And yep, the bulk are quite willing to cut off their noses to spite their faces.
In any case, the issue right now is that while for the second time in recent months a govt. shutdown has temporarily been averted, the shutdown clock is still ticking. Conservatives, mostly House Republicans but also too many GOP Senators once again see an opportunity to gut the WIC/SNAP programs that benefit so many Americans. That relieve hunger. That even can provide a level of nutrition for children, KIDS and over half of all infants that meets a minimum standard to grow up healthy. However, as this article by Alternet tells us conservatives look at such programs and say F**K THAT!
Insisting they have to make tough cuts to government spending, some House Republicans are pushing to gut a decades-old federal program that helps feed 53% of all infants born in the United States, along with women through and up to six weeks after their pregnancies, breastfeeding women, and children up until the age of 5.
Even with growth in both population and food prices there are Republicans like Alabama Rep. Robert Alderholt spearheading the effort to prevent an increase in funding according to the linked article. Did I say prevent an increase? Well, at a later point the article states what Alderholt (and others) actually want – last week he introduced a 2024 funding bill that CUTSÂ 30% from the programs to take them back to pre-2018 levels! He, and others sing their sad song about “tough choices have to be made.” Hey a-hole(s). How about making choices like NOT giving (and trying to give more) tax cuts to the wealthiest people? How about cutting the HUGE corporate subsidies to industries (big oil is only one example) that make record profits year after year? Just asking you heartless pieces of sh*t.
The fact is these are cruel, heartless people and something like a pending govt. shutdown (which they don’t want either because Wall St. doesn’t want it) gives them leverage. Both to screw over poor and average folks and to reward their rich cronies. That kind of “twofer” is something a conservative can’t resist. So by god they are trying, hoping that with the holidays coming up they can work out something to push hard for in the new year as the next shutdown deadline approaches.
As for all the average and working poor & poor Americans out there that will suffer if conservatives get even some of what they are trying for? Conservatives don’t care! It’s classic “I got mine. YOU can just STFU and f**k off” that’s part of their DNA. Let’s hope the Senate, and House Democrats can fend off this latest challenge to helping people who actually can use some govt. help – as opposed to rich people who stand there with their hands out wanting more and bigger tax cuts. We’ll have to wait and see how this all shakes out after the first of the year but given the huge negative consequences for so many if the GOP gets its way it’s something to be writing and/or calling your Representatives and Senators about.
Con, xtian, ‘pubes are the greediest pieces of garbage on the planet. BAR NONE.
I always love how the well fed decide children must go hungry and justify it so they can have summer homes and expensive vacations. EVIL. Aren’t you the same phuckers that BELIEVE in a higher power you call God, who is all knowing, looks into hearts, and will hold a LAST JUDGEMENT? By the way, either phucking way, your time here is limited, and somewhere in space and time, YOURE ALREADY DEAD! FACT!!!! Tic phucking toc assholes!